Greek Athlete

by Maggie Downer (Illustrator), Fiona Mac Donald (Author), Fiona Macdonald (Author), Maggie Downer (Illustrator)

• Used

  Paperback
  1992

  $3.36

  This historical study looks at how Greek athletes trained and at the great athletic festivals - forerunners of the Olympics. The Greeks admired and created beauty in art, music, building and sport. The lives of young Greeks, including, in Sparta, the girls, were much taken up with physical training and competition. Sport was central to leisure, wartime activity and to religion. The book describes athletic training, the part played by priests, philosophers and doctors, and what rewards and honours were showered on the victors. Historically accurate artwork shows how races were won, early javelins, sporting activities in the temples and that ancient Greek boxers suffered the same facial damage as their 20th-century counterparts. The book's publication will coincide with the 1992 Olympic Games. Timechart reference pages explain historical developments elsewhere in the world. Included is a note to the book's suitability and exact relevance to the National Curriculum.